It is worth mentioning an article in October 2010 issue called 'Mussolini Frustrated'. It is about the recent release of the first part of the diary of Mussolini's main lover Claretta Petacci. Admittedly the first part of the article focuses on Mussolini's love life, affairs, ect., but the middle bit looks at his interactions with Hitler and his own prejudices that had a hand in the creation of WW2. There is also a handy timeline entitled 'Rise and Fall of a duce'. This sort of information interconnects other activity in Europe, and activity in Germany, thus emphasising that it was not a localised issue.

Chapter 7 - The Decline of Weimar and the Rise of Nazism 1929-32

Chapter 6 - The Early Years of the Nazis 1919-29

I had an email from HA saying that it was lanching new podcast resources...

Throughout the Autumn the following podcasts will appear:

Women's Political History from 1800 to the present day.
British Social History and Reform 1800-2000
German History from WWI to the end of WWII

I admit I'm not really au fait with podcasting, but it looks like a useful tool

Chapter 5 - Weimar: The Years of Stability 1924-9

1920s Expressionism

I know Wikipedia isn't the greatest place in the world to source, but sometimes it's difficult to find a better definition, and its page on 1920s expressionism is concise and (seems at least to me to be) fairly accurate.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expressionism

Seeing how good this was led me also to look at expressionists, and alas Wiki came up trumps again...

Bertolt Brecht -http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bertolt_Brecht

Kurt Weill - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurt_Weill

Hanns Eisler - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Eisler

Here are a few more cartoons...

Ruth suggested that I look at a David Lowe cartoon, which I am hoping is the one pictured above (that features on the 'BBC bitesize' website).

They suggests that...

The cartoon shows:
Hitler and Stalin pretending to like each other.
Really they hate each other.
A figure (representing Poland) lying dead on the floor between Stalin and Hitler.
Both wear guns and military uniforms, and Germany's weapons (on the left) are in the background.
Dark clouds all around.

I will post further cartoons soon, followed by some expressionist work

Hot Seating

This is particularly fun sounding. The teacher sits at the front of the room and plays the role of a historical figure. The students can be given a few minutes to prepare questions. Then they ask 'the character' questions, e.g. why did you do that? what were your motives? was this the right thing to do? The teacher stays in role and answers questions (possibly wearing a distinctive item like a hat to clarify when in character and when as teacher for discipline reasons).

This could be used to Kaiser Wilhelm, Hitler, a member of Hitler's Youth, a victim of the inflation crisis. It could be done at various suitable intervals through the year when an important character needs introducing.

Dominoes

Make cards with a line in the middle like a domino, with a question on one side and an answer that doesn't match on the other. Hand them out, and get someone to start by reading their question. Ask who thinks they have the answer, and if more than one answer is offered, get the class to decide which is right. Then get them to read their question, and continue until the chain is complete.

This could be questions regarding political parties so that each answer is a part name, or any other topic with definite answers.

Delegation

Set up 'resource stations', on each groups table. Let them work through it. It could be a variety of primary and/or secondary sources. Each group can then present their findings to the rest of the class. This could be either a short summary by each group to end the lesson, or a longer one involving a PowerPoint.

This promotes a number of skills - both literacy in the presentation of the summary, and historical analysis of primary evidence.

This could be documents to do with the Treaty of Versailles, the Weimar Constitution, Weimar Culture (cartoons, art, poetry), ect.

Conversion

This is the concept of giving the students an idea in one format, and getting them to convert it to another format e.g. into a mind map, flow diagram, storyboard, chart, ect.

For example, this could be used to help to create links between topics or events. For example, a general example might be, how the factors that the Weimar Republic had to deal with -> Downfall of republic & rise of Nazis -> WW2

Calling Cards

Provide the students with 3 different coloured cards, preferably red, orange & green. This is an activity to check understanding. It could be used either to ask questions and each colour can correspond to a response, or at the end of a topic section, it could be broken down further and the class could be asked how they feel about each sub-section. The show of cards will help to more easily identify areas where students are lacking understanding or confidence.

Bodily functions

This is based on a concept for science, but it could be utilised in a history lesson. Get pupils to stand holding cards - half with dates on, and half with events on. Get the pupils holding date cards to line up first, then get the events to line up behind the corresponding date, allowing the date and event pupils to discuss and agree that they match up.

This would link well to the topic of the early years of the Nazis, to consider what actions occurred that lead to their rise, or to look at the threats to the Weimar Republic, listing the uprisings that occurred.

Bingo

Write a list of words on the board that are topic specific. Get the students to draw a 9-square grid and pick 9 words from the list, putting one in each box. Then read a prepared dialogue and get the student to cross out their words when they hear them. The winner is the first to get a 'full house'.

This is a good way to either start/finish a lesson (warm up/down), or to revise a topic. This would work well with either the treaty of Versailles or looking at inflation. Both of which have some good key terms, and aren't to based on just stats, ect.

Lesson Ideas

Having gone through many ideas on this topic, I thought I would use the rest of my time to suggest some lesson ideas that I could use (from Ginnis' The Teacher's Toolkit)...

Beat the Teacher

The idea of this is for the teacher to make deliberate mistakes, and the students to spot them.

I thought this might be a good follow up to some intensive work on German political parties. Either the teacher could read out short descriptions of a party and wait for students to indicate that a mistake has been made, or a slip with a party on could be given to pairs and 5 mins to pick out the mistake in the text. This would be a warm up activity.

German or Nazi Antisemitism?

This is 15 page article looks at the idea of Antisemitism in the Nazi Party in the time of the Weimar Republic. It is a subject that I hadn't looked at in great depth until I recently saw some (very upsetting) programmes on TV. This is a teaching must for bringing the realities of these policies to life, a topic that can bring a very genuine sense of both reality and emotion into this era.

I stumbled across a website called Helium, which appears to be an 'upmarket' wikipedia, in the sense that people essentially build it through their own work, but there seems to be more checks in place so that the material is all good stuff.

This is the Weimar Republic article section:

http://www.helium.com/search/search?search_query=weimar+republic&search_context=906

It is a very easy site to navigate, and has a good search function

This is another TES resource that came merrily into my inbox. It looks at political cartoons (with an explanatory PowerPoint created by Yr 10 pupils). It also has some examples of cartoons created by a class regarding the Treaty of Versailles (among other topics).

http://www.ourcartoons.blogspot.com/

Over The Top Blackadder Goes Fourth Final Scene

Although this idea isn't directly linked to the Weimar Republic, I had a small bit of inspiration whilst watching my new 'Blackadder' box set. Not everyone, likes 'Blackadder', but it reminded me how poignant the final episode of series 4, 'Blackadder goes forth' is.

A class always loves a DVD now and again, and particularly a comedy. This would hopefully keep a class interested long enough (the episode is only half an hour), to see near the end the fears of the soldiers, and them going over the top. It demonstrates the futility of war, and could be used to explain how difficult the decision to support a second world war must have been.

I think that often the facts of war take over a sense of the realities. Studies of the holocaust demonstrate this, on the one hand there is a set of statistics, on the other the reality of tragic and shocking deaths of real individuals, and the effect on their families.

Here are a few resources from the TES website:

• http://www.tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storycode=6010628

A rough overview of Hitler's life, and some explanation as to the path he took. Nice, interesting background to Hitler there, but needs picking through to make it useful

• http://www.ngfl-cymru.org.uk/vtc/learnpremium/hitler_foreign/Introduction/Hitlersaimsback/default.htm

This gives brief information, but does offer a self-test function

• http://www.tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storycode=6017454

This is a very useful PowerPoint. It is well focused and a resource that could be used as it is. What is particularly useful is the exam layout run-through, which gives examples of exam questions to practise in class

• http://www.mrallsophistory.com/

This is a free website which offers a growing collection of resources for modern history - both for teachers and students. It encourages people to use the downloads, ect. that are available

This blog will provide a summary of relevant information sourced in a Lett's, Revise A2 History - Modern British and European. I picked it up in a charity shop, and it effectively and concisely outlines key issues in Germany, but links it to other events and other countries and their situations. It also provides more background to events.

These ideas could be used to create revision lesson plans.

German Nationalism & Empire

• Empire was an massive boost to German national pride & transformed the European balance of power (political & military strength combined with a rapidly growing economy)


• Nationalism became increasingly aggressive -main external threats from France


• Diplomatic energies focused towards Russia & Austria to avoid military threats on two fronts


• Also a fear of the Catholic threat


• Under Wilhelm II German nationalism became more aggressive - this is viewed by some historians as the main reason for the first world war

• Kaiser Wilhelm embarked on the policy of Weltpolitik - nothing the world should be settled without the intervention of Germany. In practise it meant colonial expansion, extension of German power in the Balkans & constructing a powerful navy


• This nationalism was in line with German opinion - it probably sowed the seeds of national socialism


• Many have argued that Weltpolitik was to win internal loyalty, but outside powers felt threatened (Britain, China, Russia, Middle East, Morocco & others)
  

Economic Modernisation in Germany

• Industrialisation made rapid progress after 1850 in Germany - railways were a massive influence


• By 1914, Germany's industrial strength rivalled Britain's


• Major factors in this growth were the rich resources available, industry protection, a well developed infrastructure, a highly developed banking system & the formation of cartels


• The development in Germany was enough to sustain a huge war effort - however, the war made industry significantly decline, as well as being the first country to introduce rationing


• These shortages led to malnutrition & food riots


• At the end of the war Germany had severe economic problems e.g. food shortages, inflation, high unemployment & massive national debts


• The reparations to be paid by Germany were huge, and the government couldn't raise the money through taxation, so printed more money leading to high inflation. It eventually defaulted on payments and so lost Ruhr to France


• The eventual printing of more money led to hyper-inflation, and the mark became worthless


• Foundations for recovery were laid in the introduction of a new currency, reparations were scaled down this led to a period of relative stability & prosperity


• However, the new positive era was marred by the reliance on foreign investments (mainly from America), as well as trade being unfavourable, and unemployment being high


• The Wall Street Crash hit Germany particularly hard - Americans withdrew support & called in loans. There was a huge knock-on effect, wages fell & unemployment rose further. This led to the fall of the Weimar Republic & the rise of the Nazis


• Under the Nazis unemployment fell, production of industrial goods increased, coal production increased


• This was achieved by a massive programme of public works, controls were put in on wages, food prices, ect., spending on armaments increased, deficit financing was employed, small farmers were helped & a plan to make Germany ready for war was created


• Historians are divided over Nazi success & whether it would have lasted long-term. Germany remained fairly dependent on others
  

Hitler

• The Nazis offered hope on the brink of economic collapse & firm government


• They enjoyed a genuine popularity with the German people because of the success of many of their policies


• Their appeal stretched across all class, but their core of supporters from the 1920s onwards lay with lower middle and skilled working classes


• They also enjoyed the support of peasants with the Nazi promises to reduce the burden on small farmers


• Industrialists liked the fact that the Nazis provided a guard against communism


• The Nazis achieved some of their popularity through propaganda & terror, but this seems to have merely exaggerated results


• The main instrument of terror was the SS (an elite parliamentary body under Himmler's command), which controlled concentration camps & it took control of the Gestapo (secret police)


• Opposition that survived remained largely underground e.g. socialists & communists & some survived in the churches


• The only potential source of opposition really was the army, and so it was put under Hitler's direct command


• The Nazis created a one party state - both party & state expressed Hitler's will


• In reality power was diffused through an old system of conflicting authorities


• Some saw Hitler as a weak & lazy leader - a man of big visions, not little administrationwork. Other views suggest that Hitler was happy to see his subordinates to fight amongst each other - Hitler controlled big decisions, he left details to others


• Those with power included Goering (President of Reichstag), Gobbels (Nazi Propagandist) & Himmler (Head of SS)


• Hitler set out his aims in Mein Kampf - overturn the Treaty of Versailles, reunite German peoples & acquire living space for Germans (lebensraum)


• The idea of struggle was central to his argument, and that it was the duty of the German state to acquire 'land and soil'


• Some argued that Hitler was an opportunist, whereas other suggest that his aims remained the same but that he was enormously flexible in method

Mnemonic Learning Ii Stresemann Recovery

Check out this SlideShare Presentation:

Mnemonic Learning Ii Stresemann Recovery

View more presentations from Mr Eccles.

The Weimar Republic

Check out this SlideShare Presentation:

The Weimar Republic

View more presentations from Menmaatre Kiya.

The Golden Years of Weimar

Check out this SlideShare Presentation:

The Golden Years of Weimar

View more presentations from cinbarnsley.

This website is from The Historical Association, which in honesty I've neglected a little, but that I know is an excellent and plentiful resource. This link leads to a problem that a teacher has encountered in her own teaching (explained on the page), and a plan to combat it.



http://www.history.org.uk/resources/secondary_resource_1639_8.html



I'm still a little unsure as to the reason behind, and uses of this website, but will explore further...

http://www.thinkinghistory.co.uk/ActivityBase/WeimarRepublicPartyGames.html



This link is specifically for an idea for a lesson on the Weimar Republic that I stumbled on in my searches, but the website as a whole is also good for general lesson ideas. It has a dedicated area for Trainees/NQTs too, so is user friendly for the 'less experienced' lesson planner.

Spartacus

I have heard a little about 'Spartacus' before, but I had never actually used it. However, I have found that it has a number of useful resources.

On the Weimar Republic specifically, there are a few sections:

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/GERweimar.htm

Treaty of Versailles
Spartakist Rising
German Revolution
Bavarian Republic
Ruhr Occupation
Freikorps
Inflation
Unemployment
Dawes Plan
Reparations
Beer Hall Putsch
Kapp Putsch
Treaty of Rapallo
Young Plan
Locarno Treaty
League of Nations

These sections give an overview of the topic, sometimes with relevant diagrams, and links to other areas of interest. Although some areas are brief, it is concise and a good, quick recap.

Chapter 4 - The Great Inflation